Make new housing all electric

It’s no secret that California needs new housing to address our growing affordability crisis. Prices are soaring, and here in Ventura County a fifth straight year of zero or negative growth is forecast, driven in part by lack of housing.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has put a priority on streamlining the construction of new housing. The upcoming homebuilding boom is an opportunity to assure new homes are designed to meet not just the housing crisis, but also the unfolding crisis of climate change.

A recent study by E3 showed a 90 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by replacing natural gas with electricity in single-family homes. By building new homes with all-electric appliances for heating, water heating, and cooking we can see immediate reductions in our greenhouse gas emissions.

Builders save an average of $6,000 by not including gas connections. Homeowners save the upfront cost, plus operating costs of $130 to $540 per year, improve air quality and eliminate the risk of natural gas explosions. As the electric grid gets cleaner, future homes will be cheaper to buy and operate, safer, and more climate-friendly.

Fortunately, we have a window of opportunity right now as Ventura County conducts the 2040 General Plan update.

The county should require that all new construction is zero-emission and all-electric.

The county should also create a program to incentivize existing building owners to switch from gas to electric. Writing zero-emission requirements into our building codes will place Ventura County at the vanguard of the fight for a safe and sustainable climate and ensure that any housing boom is also a boom for our planet.

Christopher Tull, Oxnard

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